Widespread cultivation of trees on farms can help overcome hypertension and other chronic diseases, say World Agroforestry Centre scientists, Stepha McMullin and Katja Kehlenbeck, on World Health Day.

An article in Kenya’s Standard outlines how many people consume too much sodium and not enough potassium, and how it is not widely known that many fruits and nuts contain significant quantities of potassium.

World Health Day this year has focused on the upsurge in cases of high blood pressure which can lead to heart disease and stroke.

“There is a whole array of tree-nuts and fruits that are rich in potassium and a host of other nutrients, too,” say McMullin and Kehlenbeck. These include nuts that are rich in unsaturated fats that help lower cholesterol, vitamins E and B, and important minerals like zinc, copper, and magnesium.

Fruits too, such as oranges and dates are high in potassium as is cocoa powder or dark chocolate. The African baobab fruit contains 1,700mg of potassium per 100g powder and has up to 10 times more vitamin C than oranges.

Such nut and fruit trees can be successfully integrated into farming landscapes, say the scientists, as well as grown in city backyards and public spaces. The World Agroforestry Centre has, for many years, been working on domesticating tree species so that they can be grown on farms. This helps to “protect forests from over-exploitation, and brings important nourishment closer to people”.

Read the full story: Of trees and the way they help keep away high blood pressure